England captain Andrew Strauss says the ongoing absence of star players Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff cannot be used as an excuse for his side's poor one-day international (ODI) form. Top-order batsman Pietersen (Achilles) and all-rounder Flintoff (knee) are currently recovering from operations. Pietersen is not expected back until November's Test tour of his native South Africa at the earliest.
Meanwhile Flintoff, contemplating whether to sign a second-tier England incremental contract or go freelance, is off to Dubai for warm-weather training and is not set for international duty until the New Year. England, in their absence, are currently 4-0 down in their seven-match ODI series against Australia, whose six-wicket win at Lord's on Saturday ensured the world champions would end a tour that saw the Ashes lost with a trophy.
"It is always hard to be without your two best players but that's the reality we are in, it is not going to be changing for a while so other people have to stand up," said Strauss, who will be without both 'KP' and 'Fred' for the upcoming Champions Trophy one-day tournament in South Africa. "Hopefully when they do return we have got more potential match-winners. "In a good, functioning one-day team you have got match-winners everywhere," the opener, whose second successive 63 could not prevent defeat at his Middlesex home ground on Saturday, said.